YANG LI

Yang Li Spring 2014

Am I imagining things or did Yang Li totally make his Spring 2014 collection for me? From the uncannily Dickies-like khaki suit to my all time favorite Van SK8-HIs and right down to the menswear (also known in these parts as favoritewear), this is speaking volumes to my possibly-should-have-been-born-a-man soul. And let us not forget the glorious web belts of my youth (à la Calvin Klein Collection Fall 2013) that I am now going to stock up on in every color. Get crackin on the belt and SK8-HIs now.

I have a real, honest question about fashion here. I am certainly no expert and am not trying to put down this designer at all but I don't understand the appeal of these clothes, especially the top photo with the tan button down and pants that look too big for the model. Is it the material? Is it the construction? This outfit honestly reminds me of what my 10 year old wears when I make him dress up for Thanksgiving dinner, black sneakers and all. I didn't check to see but I'm also assuming each piece probably averages $500? I can be talked in to the looks along the bottom (belted ensembles), those I get, sort of. But why are those in the know willing to pay $$$ for khaki- looking pants I could find at any discount retailer? I'm really looking to be educated here, so please be kind with your response(s)! Thanks!

First off, let me say that I appreciate your respectful approach to the question. Some people get so snarky and often times have really uneducated comments, so thank you for your approach at least!

I think the styling is really throwing people off. If you take each piece individually, they're just a shirt and pants like any other designer's ready to wear. But when you style a khaki colored shirt with khaki colored pants, you get a prison jumpsuit / Dickies cholo look. No argument there (I actually love it for that reason)! But styling is the part of shows that tells a story and gives the impact and people sometimes can't see past that to see the merit of the pieces themselves. The shirt alone could be a safari shirt a la Michael Kors runway styling and the pants could be worn with heels and a tight crop top and be seen as regular wide leg trousers that are everywhere these days, even Calvin Klein or Zara.

And to answer your question re the price tag. There are two parts to my opinion. One is from my frugal side that believes that a stupid premium is attached to the price for the designer/brand name. I personally have a thing against buying $300 denim because cotton is cotton to me. Or $200 for a tshirt, for the same reason. I'll always buy the more affordable alternative provided it's the same fabric and still a silhouette I like (easier with basics).

But the other part is from me as an appreciator of design. A Dickies trouser and Yang Li (or Celine or Jeremy Laing) trouser may be the same color, but the same cut they are not. Now would I pay $800 for that designer trouser? Probably not. But when it goes on sale to $200 would I buy it? Possibly then yes, because it has a superior silhouette over a Dickies trouser (that does nothing for my butt) so I will pay more (within reason) for the silhouette I prefer. If Zara made that same silhouette would I buy that one over the designer one? Yes, but only if it was far cheaper or similar quality material.

I know what you mean though, there are definitely people out there who have a lot of disposable $$$ and don't care about price tags and also people who exclusively buy designer goods. But there are still some people out there who have a method to designer purchasing and it's not just about the name.

One last thing, in my own experience with my closet, no-name classic items in natural fabrics like 100% cotton or silk have withstood the test of time (wear and trend). But sometimes cheap high street items have pilled terribly or ripped at seams after a few uses, where some of my designer items retain their look after many wears. And many times commercial brands do make clothes cheaper than designer brands (which is why they're wallet friendly). I have a pinstripe coat from Style Stalker and a pinstripe suit from Celine (from an outlet). One is printed pinstripes on a wool blend and one is woven on 100% wool. The quality is just different. I love them both equally but for different reasons and the price I was willing to pay for them also varied.

Hope you keep an open mind though. And of course, you are entitled to hate it all still! Different strokes for different folks.

Thank you for your thoughtful response. :) I understand your point about the styling; I was not looking at each individual piece and how it could be worn in a different way, maybe even to suit my taste/body type. I wouldn't say I hate the clothes, just that I didn't understand the idea behind them. To be honest, I find that I don't really "get" a lot of the clothes you feature on your blog (do like the accessories though), but I like fashion and your down to earth-ness so I keep reading. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

Thank you for keeping an open mind! You are free to even flat out hate the clothes, but you are great for having respect about it. Not everyone has to see eye to eye, but as long as we are kind and understand wording and boundaries, there are no hard feelings to be had! Awesome reader! x

I simply Love Yang Li´s aesthetic from his first collection! Plus I think the same like you about price tags and when to buy something with an elevated price (most of the times waiting for discounts too) and when to buy fast fashion (jeans and shirts could be cool...but generally T-shirts and especially jumpers are made poorly and with a kind of material that resist only two wearings ).Love your style too...very inspiring...very my style too.

Follow by Email

For work inquiries, please contact max@brigadetalent.com

For other questions, please contact jayne@stopitrightnow.com

While I work with brands to produce content, I have a policy against trading posts for product. I do occasionally receive gifts from brands, but am careful to accept only what I genuinely love and can get enough use out of. It is my wholehearted effort to keep the content of the site honest and true to my own thoughts and aesthetic and to be mindful of the environment and waste.